


There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret

by DashFlintceschi



Series: Mythological Creatures Alphabet Challenge [1]
Category: Bring Me The Horizon, You Me At Six
Genre: Josh is an angel, Josh is awkward, M/M, Oskar gets mentioned a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-09 00:52:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1962750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashFlintceschi/pseuds/DashFlintceschi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The angel Joshua is banished from heaven by Raphael.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret

**Author's Note:**

> A is for Angel in the Mythological Creatures Alphabet Challenge. I mostly based Josh's demeanour in this on Misha Collins' portrayal of Castiel in Supernatural, in fact, I took a conversation between Castiel and Dean and used it in here, with changed names.

As the group of ten wander home from the pub, Max glances up at the sky, then points.

“Hey, look, a shooting star,” they all look up, marvelling at the bright white light zooming across the night sky, until Tom realises, and the colour drains from his face.

“It’s coming this way,” he gasps, and they realise he’s right, but none of them can force themselves to move, watching in horror as it gets closer.

Thankfully, it doesn’t actually hit them, it hits the ground with a crack thirty feet in front of them instead. Dan starts to edge forward to take a look, then looks back at them with wide eyes.

“I think it hit someone. There’s someone lying in the crater,” he tells them hoarsely, and they all rush forwards to help.

As they get to the edge of the crater, the guy sits up, rubbing his head.

“Hey, don’t move. We’ll get an ambulance, you shouldn’t move until it gets here,” Nicholls tells him, but he ignores him, standing up and stepping out of the crater. He’s dressed in a tight t-shirt, jeans and trainers, all blinding white, and as he turns to face them, they realise that there isn’t a mark on him, no broken bones, no scratches or bruises, not even dirt from the crater.

“I appreciate the concern, but I assure you, I am quite alright,” his voice has an ethereal, almost musical quality to it, his skin milky white, his eyes an indescribable shade of blue and seeming to glow. Chris has never believed in anything supernatural, but he knows that the man standing in front of him is not human.

“What are you?” He asks softly, and none of his friends seem surprised, clearly they were thinking the same thing.

“I am the angel Joshua. Raphael expelled me from heaven,” those glowing eyes seem to turn sad at that. Chris doesn’t hesitate.

“Then you’ll need somewhere to live. Come on, then,” he starts walking again, motioning for Joshua to follow him.

As Joshua follows Chris obediently, Oli, Dan and Tom fall into step beside him.

“Why would Raphael expel you from heaven?” Oli asks gently, hoping to avoid upsetting him.

“God has long since left heaven, the Archangels took over in his stead. Raphael did not like that I am still loyal to my father, so he banished me,” he explains, looking up at the house as they turn onto the path leading to the front door. “You have a very lovely domicile,” he compliments, not noticing the strange looks they give him.

They head straight into the kitchen, and Lee starts making tea for everyone.

“Josh, how do you take your tea?” He asks, and Josh smiles at him bemusedly.

“I do not require sustenance or hydration,” he tells him, and Lee laughs slightly.

“You can still drink it. Most of the time, people only drink it because they enjoy it, and the warmth gives a bit of comfort,” he explains, and Josh mulls it over for a few minutes.

“I accept this premise, but I am afraid I am unaware of my preference as to the method of brewing,” again, he seems not to notice the odd looks they give him. Instead of replying, Lee brings over a mug of sugarless, black tea.

“Here, try this,” he insists, and Josh takes a small sip, pulling a face and shaking his head.

“I do not enjoy that at all,” he informs him, and Lee adds milk to it, then motions for him to try it again. “It is a little better, but something is still wrong,” Lee immediately adds a spoonful of sugar, then nods to it again. This time, Josh smiles and nods when he tries it. “That tastes wonderful, thank you,” he tells him with a beatific smile, and Lee laughs.

“Alright, milk and one sugar, now we know,” he announces, then goes back to making tea for everyone else. 

Once that’s done, and Lee’s sat at the table with them, Vegan looks at Josh.

“Alright, we’ve got a couple of spare bedrooms, and all of them have got beds and everything, so you can choose whichever one you fancy,” he tells them, and again, Josh gets that bemused look on his face.

“I do not require rest,” he insists, and Vegan laughs slightly.

“Is there anything you do require?” He asks with a grin, and Josh considers it.

“I do not believe so. If I discover anything that I require, I shall inform you,” they have to stifle laughter at that.

“Even if you don’t need sleep, I think you should pick a bedroom, so you can have somewhere to have some alone time, if you need it,” Matt insists, and Josh nods.

“If you believe it would be beneficial, then I shall choose a bedroom,” he agrees, finishing his tea and standing up. “If it would be agreeable, I would appreciate assistance in selecting a bedroom,” he requests, and Oli stands with a nod.

“I was just going to go to bed, anyway, I’ll do it,” he agrees, leading Josh to the stairs.

As they get to the upstairs hallway, Oli can’t hold back the question that’s been in his head since they found Josh.

“Do you know what God thinks of homosexuals? The bible says it’s wrong, but…” He trails off, and Josh smiles.

“Your bible is not God’s word, it is man’s interpretation of God’s word. It holds very little of my father’s true word. As for your question, if my father had not wanted homosexuals, he would not have made them. He marvels at the strength of the love humans can hold for each other,” Oli sighs in relief at that. He’s always been an atheist, but having an indisputable angel in front of him, he can’t really argue the existence of God anymore.

Oli shows him the three unoccupied bedrooms, and after a bit of debate with himself, Josh chooses the first one he saw, announcing that he has a better view of the garden from the window in this one. Oli just nods at that, humouring him, and bids him goodnight. Josh stays in his new bedroom as, one by one, the rest of them slowly filter up to bed. When Dan gets up the next morning, he expects him to still be there, but when he pokes his head in, the room’s empty. He gets slightly worried as he makes his way downstairs, checking each room as he goes, finding no sign of Josh, or his boyfriend’s dog, Oskar, either.

When he gets to the kitchen, he sees Josh sitting in the grass in the back garden, but as he approaches the back door, he realises that the garden looks nothing like it did the night before. They always kept the grass short, but it was basically empty, apart from the shed at the end that kept all the stuff they couldn’t find anywhere else for. As Dan comes out the door and wanders over to where Josh is sitting, he can’t help but gape. The grass is softer and greener than he’s ever seen it, and there’s dozens of flowers and plants all over the garden, a few bushes along the perimeter, and even a large oak tree next to the shed.

He plops down into the grass beside Josh, and notices Oskar sitting in Josh’s lap, looking ridiculously happy, which, admittedly, isn’t out of place for Oskar, he’s the happiest little dog Dan’s ever met.

“Did you do all of this?” He asks Josh softly, and he nods, smiling at Dan as he continues to scratch Oskar’s back gently.

“It seemed so sad, so I decided to give it life and make it happy again,” Josh tells him, and Dan smiles.

“I didn’t think angels would be into gardening,” he comments, and Josh nods.

“Very much so. My brothers never enjoyed it, but my father made me the keeper of the garden of heaven, and I very much enjoyed it. He also made me the protector of animals. Oskar is very happy with the home you have given him,” Dan frowns in confusion at that.

“You say that as if Ozzy told you,” again, Josh nods.

“Oh yes, I hear when they speak. He is very happy here. His only complaint is that Thomas is very lonesome, which makes Oskar melancholy,” although Dan’s concerned at what Josh told him about Tom, he can’t help but snort.

“Why do you have to talk so weird?” He asks, and Josh tilts his head in confusion.

“This is the way I have always spoken. I was not aware it was unusual in any way.”

“Well, it’s not too weird, but it’s a little odd. Most people contract certain words, and I think that’s the only time I’ve ever heard anyone say ‘melancholy’,” he amends, but it seems to confuse Josh more.

“What word should I use, then?” He asks, eyes big and blue and glowy and freaking Dan out slightly.

“Sad, or miserable, or… Just, keep it simple, people don’t really use fancy words like that anymore.”

“Alright. Oskar feels sad because Thomas is lonely,” Josh amends, and Dan smiles encouragingly. At that moment, Tom drops down next to Josh, rubbing Oskar’s ears as he grins at Josh and Dan.

“What’s the word, Josh?” He asks, and Josh frowns at him for a moment.

“It is… A shortened version of my name,” he responds, and the two of them stare at him in bafflement for at least a minute and a half, until Tom gets it and bursts out laughing.

“No, no I meant… When I say ‘what’s the word’, I mean it as an informal way of saying ‘good morning, Josh, how are you on this magnificent day?’” Tom clarifies, putting on a fake posh accent at the end, and they’re both surprised at the soft giggle it gets from Josh.

“I understand now. I am very well, how are you, Thomas?” Josh returns, and Tom cringes.

“I’d be a lot better if you’d start calling me Tom. Not even my nan calls me Thomas,” he insists, pulling a face, and Josh nods seriously.

“You are uncomfortable being addressed as Thomas, I shall make sure to remember that,” he vows, and Tom can’t help but grin at how weird this guy is.

They end up staying out in the garden all day, since everyone else joins them out there as each of them get up. It doesn’t take them long to realise how out of touch Josh is, as he continually fails to recognise sarcasm, and understand jokes and cultural references. Dan disappears inside at about seven, and not long after, he shouts everyone in, announcing that dinner’s ready. Tom pulls Josh up with him and leads him into the house.

“I told you, I do not require sustenance. Do you have a fissure on your hippocampus? I could check, if you like?” Josh asks worriedly, and Tom laughs.

“No, I don’t have a fissure in my hippo-whatever, I just don’t want you to feel left out just because you don’t eat,” he tells him, and Josh smiles.

“That is very kind of you. In that case, I shall sit with you while you nourish yourselves,” he agrees, allowing Tom to lead him to the kitchen table and sits down beside him. Dan falters as he dishes up spaghetti Bolognese; vegan style, of course; for everyone else, looking at Josh curiously.

“Are you physically unable to eat, or is it just that you don’t need to?” He asks, and Josh smiles at him.

“I am physically able to, I do not see the point in wasting resources,” he tells him, and Dan laughs, holding up the pot.

“Well, I made too much, would you like some? You’d actually be helping me avoid wasting it,” he offers, and Josh nods.

“It smells wonderful, I would very much like to try it,” he agrees, and Dan grins at the compliment as he tips what’s left in the pot onto a plate and hands it to Josh with a fork. Dan goes to dump the pot in the sink, but he hesitates and watches as Josh stares at his fork in confusion for a few seconds, then turns to watch what Tom’s doing with his, before clumsily copying.

Once Dan sits down with his own food, he looks at Josh, who’s doing a little better with his fork.

“You’ve never left heaven before, have you?” He asks gently, and Josh shakes his head.

“I had no reason to, my father’s assignment for me was to care for the garden of heaven, so why would I leave heaven?” He replies, and Dan nods in understanding.

“Makes sense. I guess we’ll just have to teach you how to be human,” he decides, and Josh grins.

“I would very much appreciate that.”

As the months pass, Josh picks up how to be human surprisingly easily, and he finds himself getting closer to Tom. Most nights, while the others sleep, Josh sits in the back garden with Oskar, enjoying nature, and Oskar’s company. One night, around seven months after he fell, Oskar informs him that Tom’s scent has changed, and that his pheromones indicate that Tom is in love with Josh. The thing that surprises Josh is how happy this makes him. He spends the rest of the night, and most of the morning, sitting in the garden, contemplating what this means. Finally, around noon, he makes his decision, and heads into the house. He finds Tom in the living room with the others, and sits down on the armchair next to where Tom’s sitting on the couch. He decides to wait until they’re done talking, but they all quickly trail off and go quiet when they notice him just sitting staring at Tom.

“You alright, Josh?” Tom asks worriedly, and Josh smiles.

“I’m fine, I have something I’d like you to have,” he tells him, and Tom smiles slightly, but it quickly changes to horrified shock as Josh pushes his hand into his chest. None of them can believe what they’re seeing as Josh pulls his hand back out, no blood or injury in sight, but his hand is cupped around a small ball of blinding white light. He holds it out for Tom to take, but Tom just stares at him in shock.

“W-what is it?” He asks hoarsely, and Josh smiles.

“It’s my grace, and I’d like you to have it,” he tells him, and Jordan gasps.

“What? Why are you acting like that? What does it mean?” Tom asks Jordan as he turns to him with bewildered eyes.

“I could be wrong, but… I think he’s giving you his angel-ness. He’s offering to become human for you,” he tells him softly, and Tom looks back at Josh with huge, questioning eyes, and Josh nods in conformation.

“Why are you giving me your grace?” Tom asks, and Josh smiles.

“Because I have realised that I would very much like to grow old with you, and Oskar has informed me that you return those feelings. If I keep my grace, I’ll never grow old, and I would have to live many, many centuries without you, so I’d rather give it to you,” he explains, and Tom grins.

“What am I supposed to do with it?” He asks, and Josh thinks about it for a minute, then puts his grace back in his chest. It’s only for a moment, to use the abilities he’ll lose when he gives Tom his grace. He makes a silver necklace with an unbreakable glass orb hanging from a pendant. He takes out his grace again, and transfers it to the orb, then holds the necklace out to Tom.

“This way, it can always protect you,” he tells Tom as he secures it around his neck. 

Josh had gotten used to acting like a human, but being human is completely different. The first time his stomach growls in hunger, it scares him, until Tom calms him down and explains; the first time he gets tired, he thinks he’s dying, instead of trying to explain, Tom gets him to lie down with him, and he falls asleep quickly. When he wakes up the next morning, he quickly realises what happened, and apologises to Tom for freaking out. Though he can’t use his abilities anymore, he still spends most of his time in the garden, and he’s still very good at it, and though he can‘t understand Oskar anymore, Oskar doesn’t seem to mind, still following Josh around, and uses the fact that Josh can still remember where Oskar told him were his favourite places to be scratched to his advantage.

Tom never takes off the necklace with Josh’s grace in it, and by the time Tom dies at the age of ninety-seven, Josh’s grace has become fused with Tom’s soul, to the point that, just seventeen minutes after Tom dies, Josh drifts away too, with absolutely no regrets.


End file.
